Fortitude makes us "resilient sailors", encourages Holy FatherIn today's Regina Caeli, Pope Francis recalled that "the Gospel takes us back to the night of Easter. The apostles are gathered in the Upper Room when the two disciples return from Emmaus and recount their encounter with Jesus, 'what had happened to them on the road and how they recognized him in the breaking of the bread' (Lk 24:35). And, as they express the joy of their experience, the Risen One appears to the whole community. Jesus arrives precisely while they are sharing the story of their encounter with him. Let us reflect on this, on the importance of sharing our faith.
Along these lines, Pope Francis pointed out that "every day we are bombarded with a thousand messages. Many are superficial and useless, others reveal an indiscreet curiosity or, worse still, are born of gossip and malice. They are news that serve no purpose, indeed, they do harm. But there is also beautiful, positive and constructive news, and we all know how good it feels to hear good things and how we feel better when that happens. And it is also beautiful to share the realities that, for better or worse, have touched our lives, so that we can help others".
The Pontiff then invited us to reflect on "something we often find difficult to talk about. Paradoxically, it is about the most beautiful thing we have to talk about: our encounter with Jesus. Each one of us could say so much about it: not by playing the role of teacher to others, but by sharing the unique moments in which we felt the Lord alive and close, who enkindled joy in our hearts or wiped away tears, who transmitted trust and consolation, strength and enthusiasm, or forgiveness, tenderness, peace. It is important to share this in the family, in the community, with friends. Just as it is good to speak of the good inspirations that have guided us in life, of the thoughts and feelings that arise when we find ourselves in the presence of God, and also of the efforts and toil we make to understand and progress along the path of faith, perhaps also to repent and retrace our steps. If we do this, Jesus, just as he did with the disciples on Easter night, will surprise us and make our encounters and our environments even more beautiful.
The Pope then proposed these questions for us to meditate on: "Let us try to recall, now, a strong moment in our life of faith, a decisive encounter with Jesus. And let us ask ourselves: Have I spoken about it to anyone, have I given it as a gift, with simplicity, to family members, confreres, loved ones and those with whom I am in contact? And finally: Am I interested, in turn, in hearing from others what they have to tell me about their encounter with Christ?
May Our Lady help us to share our faith so that our communities may become more and more places of encounter with the Lord".
Escalation of the conflict in Israel
At the end of the prayer of the Regina Caeli, the Pope indicated that he follows with sorrow the news about the worsening of the situation in Israel due to Iran's intervention last night because it considers Israel guilty of the attack on its consulate in Damascus (Syria).
The Holy Father has called for a halt to the "spiral of violence," which could lead the Middle East into a major conflict, and to pray for peace.
World Children's Day
After greeting the pilgrims from different countries, the Pope sent a special greeting to the children present, and recalled that on May 25-26 the first World Children's Day will be celebrated in the Church. In addition, the Pontiff asked the faithful to accompany the journey towards this day with prayer, and indicated to the children that he expects "everyone": "We need your joy and your desire for a better world".
To conclude, the Pope asked for prayers for children suffering from wars and, as usual, reminded us to pray for him.
